Family
by 5t4rG4z3r
Summary: A mysterious girl turns up claiming to be Clark's sister.
1. Sister

The girl walked through the door into the Talon. She paused, looking around, then found what she was looking for and made straight for the table where Clark and his friends were studying. She stood a short distance from the table, waiting. Finally Clark got up and headed for the counter. She followed him.

Standing behind him she whispered softly, "Kal-el?"

Clark froze. Who would call him by that name? Drawing in a breath he turned to face the girl. She was about his age, shorter than him, but pretty. She had medium brown hair and grey/blue eyes. Upon seeing his face she smiled, recognition dawning on her face.

"It is you!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry. You must be mistaken, my name is Clark. Do I know you?" he asked.

"Not yet, but you will. I must speak with you, it is of utmost importance."

Clark wanted to refuse, not wanting to think, let alone talk, about his past and his biological family. Not with a complete stranger. But he saw the urgency in her eye, and, he didn't know why, but somehow he trusted her.

"Not here," was all he said.

They drove to the Kent farm. Once they were both sitting in the loft the girl began talking, a mile a minute.

"Oh, Kal-el, it's so good to see you, I've been dreaming of this moment. There's so much I have to tell you, so much you could tell me! Where have you been all these years? Kal-el, I've missed you so much!"

"Whoa. Slow down. First of all how do you know that name?"

"What? Kal-el? But…don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Kal-el…"

"Clark."

"Clark…I'm your sister."

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	2. Proof

Clark looked at the girl disbelievingly, knowing that what she said could not be true.

"I don't think that's possible," he told her. She stared at him, defiant. She hadn't expected this to be easy.

"Your name is Kal-el, your father is Jor-el, and you are from the planet Krypton. You probably exhibit super powers of some kind due to the radiation from the yellow sun. Now how would I know that unless I knew you? I know you, Kal-el, I'm your sister!"

"Stop calling me that! My name's Clark." Clark was amazed; no one except his parents, Chloe, and Jor-el knew that much about him. He decided to play dumb for the moment, no need to tell her she was right until he figured out exactly who he was dealing with. "What's your name?"

"Lera Grady," she smiled. "I was named after our mother."

Clark still wasn't convinced, he was certain he didn't have a sister, but he couldn't see any other way she could know so much about him. "If you are my sister, where have you been all these years?"

"Waiting. I wasn't sure I could tell you until now. Ever since the ship crashed I've been dying to tell you Kal-el, really I have."

Again, Clark froze. "Ever since what?" He knew what she had said, and he realized there was no way she could know everything she had said, unless she really was his sister.

"Ever since the ship crashed, you know, when we landed here during the meteor shower."

"We?"

"Yes we. God, Kal-el why are you being so dense?"

"Let me get this straight, you're my sister?"

"Yes."

"You're from Krypton."

"Yes."

"And you were in the ship with me."

"Yes."

"And…and then what?"

"Then we were separated, you were adopted by the Kents and I was adopted by the Gradys. And I've been waiting ever since to tell you. I've missed you, Kal-el."

"So you have powers too? Super speed and strength, x-ray vision, all that? "

"No, that is where we are different. Your powers are of the body, mine are of the mind. I can move things with my mind, sense the presence of life around me, see into the minds of others." She stopped talking, but her voice continued on in his head. _And I've always had a connection to you, Kal-el, that's how I found you._

"So you really are…?"

"Yes."

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	3. Believing

Clark paced the kitchen nervously. The girl, Lera, was gone. Now he was left with his thoughts, and his hopes. What if he wasn't the last, what if what she said was true? His head spun thinking about it. Martha came in, balancing grocery bags.

"Hi, Clark, could you give me a hand with this?"

"Hi, mom. How was your day?"

"What's on your mind Clark?" Clark gave her a puzzled look. "Its written all over your face, something's bothering you. What is it?"

Clark steeled himself, not sure if he was ready to hear the answer, but knowing that he had to. "Mom, when you and dad found me the day of the meteor shower, was there anyone else by the ship?"

"By the ship? No. There was no one anywhere near your ship Clark. Why, do you think someone knows about it, or about your secret?"

"Well…"

"Clark." Martha said warningly.

"Well… there's this girl, and she kind of thinks she's my sister."

Martha looked concerned and amused at the same time. "I doubt that's possible, Clark."

"So did I at first, but she knows about everything. The ship, Jor-el, Krypton. She evens claims to be named after my biological mother, and she has powers, not quite like mine, but similar."

"And you're starting to believe her."

"I want to. If she's telling the truth that means I'm not alone."

"Clark, you're never alone."

Clark smiled at his mother. "I know, mom. But it'd be nice not to be the last one."

She smiled back. "I know."

"So what are you going to do now?" she asked him.

"I'm going to talk to her again. If she really is my sister, we have a lot of catching up to do."

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	4. Background

Clark wanted to talk to the girl again, to ask her any of the millions of questions in his head. What had she done for the years since the crash? What did she remember about Krypton? And their parents? Had she spoken with Jor-el? He wanted to know everything, but first he needed answers she couldn't give him. For that there was only one person.

Chloe was sitting in her dorm when he knocked. She jumped up to meet him. She was looking optimistic as ever, cappuccino in hand.

"Clark! Hey what's going on? Your message was rather cryptic."

"Yeah, I didn't really think it was something we should talk about over the phone."

"So… what is it?"

"Have you ever heard of Lera Grady?"

"No, why? Who is she?"

Clark took in a deep breath. "She's my sister."

Chloe nearly choked on her cappuccino. "She's what? Like, your real sister? Crazy alien powers and all?"

Clark smiled, count on Chloe to put it so delicately. "Something like that. Yeah."

"So do you believe her? I mean, do you really think she's your biological sister?"

"I'm starting to; I'd like a little background on her though."

"Coming right up." In a flash Chloe was on her computer typing a mile a minute. Within seconds she had pulled up and printed complete biographical information on Lera Grady.

"It says here she was found, alone, in Smallville the day after the meteor shower," Clark read. "She was adopted by a Mr. and Mrs. David Grady. They moved to Ohio soon after."

"That's strange," Chloe commented, staring at the paper she was holding. "There's no record of her before the meteor shower, no birth certificate, nothing. She claimed her name was Lera, but no one on the missing persons list matched that name." She looked up at Clark. "Its like she just appeared out of thin air on the day of the meteor shower."

That was enough to convince Clark. He had a sister. There was no other explanation for all of this. He had a sister.

He hurriedly thanked Chloe and left to find Lera.

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	5. Trusting

Clark and Lera studied each other from across the table. They both had so much to say but could find no words. In the past half hour they had gotten to know each other a bit. Clark found himself starting to wonder how he had ever gotten along without her, she was everything he wasn't. Together they would make the perfect team.

She smiled at him, reading his thoughts. _I feel they same way. _He smiled back. They understood each other perfectly. They both knew what it was like to know you're different and to have to live with a secret. Now they finally had someone to share their secrets with, to share everything with, someone who would understand. All his life he'd had people who knew his secret, but never anyone who really understood. And now, finally she was here, though he still didn't understand why she'd waited so long.

"I hated not telling you," she said quietly. She'd read his thoughts again. "I just…never had the courage I guess."

He could tell she felt bad about it and he did his best to make her feel better, but in truth he wasn't sure how much good he could do. Eventually she smiled again and soon they were sharing stories and laughing together. As night fell they began to walk to Clark's house.

His time with her was almost over and there was still one question bothering him. Before he even had a chance to ask the question she had begun answering it. 'This telepathy stuff is gonna take some getting used to,' he thought, and immediately knew she had heard that too.

"I'm sorry, I'll stop," she promised, and Clark had to admit he was relieved.

"Anyway, your question," she said. "Yes, I remember a bit about our parents, mostly our mother. She was beautiful, and gentle. Mostly I remember her voice. She would sing to us, I don't remember the song, just that strong, kind voice."

She shared the memory with him. It was the most amazing thing he had ever experienced. He could feel the bed he was laying on, hear her voice, see her sitting on a chair near him. It was so real.

Clark came back to reality reluctantly; he wanted to stay in that memory forever. Lera sensed that. 'Excellent,' she thought. 'I'll have him doing everything I say in no time flat.'

Throughout the next week or so Clark and Lera spent every possible moment together, reliving their past. Clark was amazed with the detail and reality of the memories; he couldn't get enough of them.

One day Lera decided to make her move. After Clark had relived another memory she looked at him and put on her best innocent face. "Clark," she said, "we should go somewhere."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Think about it, we don't belong here, we're too different from them. We belong out there but the fact is we're stuck here. We finally have each other what are we sticking around here for?"

He looked at her blankly, considering what she was saying. She was right. Why were they sticking around here for? He was so wrapped up in his past, their past, that it became his future. He didn't need this place, these people anymore. Until now they had helped him to try to fit in, but now he didn't need to. He had Lera, she accepted him for who he was, and he wasn't alone anymore.

Lera listened to his thoughts happily, her plan was working. "Leave with me," she said sweetly.

Clark slowly nodded. He was ready to leave his old life behind. He didn't ask when or where, he simply nodded, and that was all she needed.

_So…watcha think?_


	6. Home

Clark didn't question, he just followed. At this point he would follow her anywhere. They left in the middle of the night. Clark didn't tell anyone or wait to say good bye, he just left. They walked together for a while in silence, but talking mind to mind the entire time. They were getting to know every inch of each other's being inside and out, they were becoming one person. They didn't know where they were going. The truth was they could go anywhere, but they didn't _belong _anywhere. They belonged millions of light years from here, in a different galaxy entirely. But for now all they needed was to be with each other.

Clark was beginning to shed his old life. His attachment to that farm, and that town. His love and reliance on the petty humans of this world. He was so much bigger than them, so much more powerful. It was amazing to him that he had ever needed to fit in with them. He was so much more than they could even dream, he didn't need their approval. Not now that he had Lera.

Clark could almost see into her soul when he looked at her, and he knew she could see his. All her life this was all she had wanted, all she had waited for. She needed this more than anything and so did Clark. He'd never realized how alone he was until that void in his heart was filled, now that it was he'd didn't think he could ever live without it again.

Before he had realized it, it was almost dawn and they were in the caves. She smiled at him. _I thought this would be the best place for us, _she thought to him.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a key, like the one he used to reach his fortress of solitude. She took his key from him, and held the two keys together.

"How did you get that?" he asked, surprised.

"How did you get yours?" she asked in reply. He was still suspicious. "Well how come should you get one and I shouldn't?" she scolded him, slightly hurt.

He smiled sheepishly, realizing she was right. She smiled back. They both looked at the keys, which were floating of their own power now and were glowing slightly. The keys began to spin and slowly molded into each other and became one. She caught it as it slowly fell into her hand.

"Do you know where this will take us?" she asked him. He shook his head and she smiled. "A million miles from here. Krypton. Home."

Back at the Kent farm the sun was rising. Soon Martha would wake up and Chloe would arrive with urgent news for Clark. Both would find him missing.

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	7. Truth

Chloe walked up to the house, worried. They'd looked everywhere for Clark. She didn't think he'd just leave without telling anyone, but then again this was Clark they were dealing with, unpredictable was his middle name. She sat down on the porch and waiting for Martha to get off the phone.

They hadn't been able to find Lera either and that unsettled Chloe. Lera was the reason she was here so early in the first place, she had to warn Clark. Now they'd both gone missing. Interesting. For all intents and purposes at the moment, Lera was Clark's sister, so she was from Krypton, if they left together where would they be? Krypton. That was it. The caves, they must be in the caves. No one had thought to look there, why would they? She ran to her car, full speed.

By the time Martha hung up with the sheriff, Chloe was gone. Martha sighed. Whatever was going on, Chloe would get to the bottom of it. She only hoped they would be in time.

Chloe entered the caves at a run. "Clark! Clark, are you here? I need to talk to you, this is really importan…" she trailed off as she saw what was happening. Clark and Lera were standing together in the caves not far from where she was. Clark's key was floating, spinning in midair. Lera caught it as it started to fall.

"Do you know where this will take us?" she asked him. He shook his head and she smiled. "A million miles from here. Krypton. Home."

"Clark, don't," Chloe said, stepping out into the clearing where they were standing. "She's not who she says she is, she's not your sister. She can't take you home, Clark, please, believe me."

Clark looked at Chloe, then at Lera, surprised. Lera was completely shocked by Chloe's sudden outburst.

"Clark, it's me. I _am _your sister. I don't know what she's talking about but I _can _take you home. I want to go home with you," Lera said. It was obvious to both Clark and Chloe that she fully believed what she said to be true.

"Clark listen to me," Chloe countered. "She's not Kryptonian. She may believe everything she's told you but it's not real. Her name is Natalie Brent, her car crashed near your ship the day of the meteor shower, Clark. She was never found after the meteor shower, presumed dead. I found her file on the missing persons list and had the computer generate a picture of what she would look like today." She handed it to him. "It's her, Clark. I'm sorry."

Clark looked at the picture. It was Lera, no doubt about it. But that didn't explain how she knew so much about him. Chloe could tell what he was thinking.

"She's telepathic, Clark," she explained. "Because of the meteor rocks. She saw your mind the day of the crash and your memories overwrote hers, she honestly believes that she is your sister. But she's not."

Lera screamed. Rocks were hurling as she used all her powers against Chloe. She was trembling and hovering slightly, screaming the entire time. Clark looked at her. He'd really believed she was his sister. So had she. But as the truth dawned on both of them anger and resentment took over.

Clark moved in to stop her but she collapsed before he could reach her. She lay, unmoving, on the ground. Clark turned to Chloe.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded.

"Are you?" she whispered. They both knew he couldn't be hurt physically, but who knew what this was doing to him emotionally. He looked at Lera again.

"I will be," he answered.

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	8. Letting Go

Clark sat in the hospital room looking sadly at the girl that had almost helped him get home. She was alive, but barely, she had been unconscious for four days now. He thought about everything that had happened since she had turned up in his life. He knew, as Chloe had reminded him many times, that what he had done, or tried to do, hadn't been entirely his fault. She had entered his mind, convinced him to do what she wanted him to, but still the will to do it had to come from somewhere and it came from him. He was ashamed of that. Chloe had saved him just in time, yet again he owed her and he had no way to repay her. She had a few bruises from Lera's final outburst, but, to Clark's relief, she was fine.

Now Clark's main concern was Lera. What would he do when she woke up? If she ever woke up. Clark sighed, he felt utterly alone, an outsider again. He had wanted to believe her so much, he should have known it could never be true. Still she had filled a place in his heart and now that it was empty again it hurt more than ever.

Chloe walked in and stood in the doorway quietly. He noticed her and looked up.

"How are you doing with all this?" she asked him softly. She knew this must be killing him. She wished she could find some way to comfort him, but she didn't know how. He put on his best fake smile for her.

"It's a bit confusing," he confessed. "But I'm ok."

She could see right through him, but for his sake, she smiled back. "You always are, aren't you?"

Lera groaned, and rolled over. "She's waking up," Clark said. "Go call the doctors."

As Chloe ran to do so, Clark went over to the girl and sat down next to her. He smiled at her, trying to reach out to her with his mind, to see if she would answer his unspoken cry.

She didn't.

"Do I know you?" she mumbled. The sadness in Clark's heart deepened.

"I'm Clark," he answered. "How much do you remember recently?"

She looked confused, trying to remember. "I can't remember anything, just some flashes of when I was really little, and my parents."

"What's your name?" Clark asked gently.

"Natalie."

Natalie. That was her earth name. She didn't remember him at all. She didn't remember Lera, or that she had believed she was an alien. She didn't remember anything before the meteor shower. The hole in his heart grew. But at least she was awake now; at least _she _could live a normal life.

Chloe entered with the doctors and the two of them were quickly pushed out of the room. Clark told her what Lera, Natalie, had said. Chloe immediately had a theory.

"The human brain wasn't meant to do that much, you know, Clark. With all the strain she put on her mind, it probably overloaded and sort of erased." She could tell that she wasn't really helping so she stopped. "You know it wasn't your fault, Clark."

He nodded. He didn't know that, but Chloe would keep pushing until he gave in so he decided to quit early. She knew there wasn't anything else she could do for him, so she gave him a quick hug and left him to his thoughts.

He wondered, not for the first time, if the world wasn't better off without him. If the meteor shower had never happened, everyone's lives would be much simpler.

Later that week Clark was surprised by a knock at his door. When he opened it he found Natalie standing there nervously. Clark ushered her in to a couch. She smiled at him awkwardly and for a brief, hopeful moment Clark thought she had remembered.

"I'm told you were the one who brought me to the hospital, so I guess I owe you my thanks," she began quietly. "I still don't know what happened but I feel a sort of connection to you, like I used to know you really well. Did I?"

Clark's heart wrenched, but if she didn't remember, there was no need to tell her. "No," he lied. "I found you unconscious and brought you to the hospital, that's it."

"Oh," she was disappointed. "Well, thank you." She got up to leave.

Clark couldn't help himself. "Lera," he called softly.

She turned. "I know that name," she said, and Clark felt a glimmer of hope. "Who is it?"

_You! Its you, you're my sister! _Clark wanted to tell her so badly. "Just a friend of mine," he lied again. "You look a lot like her."

She shrugged and left. Clark watched her go sadly before going back inside. That night he sat up for hours holding the key she had made. He would never use it, he knew, but it helped him let go of all the emotions he had built up over the last few days. Finally he put the key away. She was gone, and he was ready to let her go.

_The End! Watcha think? Please, please, please let me know!_


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